Front loading refuse vehicles are used by contractors who employ a number of refuse receptacles, which are placed at various work sites where refuse is collected in them.
At regular intervals the vehicle will visit the site, and engage and lift the receptacle up over the cab of the vehicle. The receptacle is then inverted over the container body of the vehicle and refuse is dumped into the container body through a trap door in the top of the body.
The receptacle is then replaced on the ground. Various different mechanisms have been proposed for lifting and tipping the refuse receptacles. Almost all of them employ two arms which can be extended forwardly of the vehicle. The two arms are adapted to be introduced into two sleeves, one on either side of the receptacle. In this way the receptacle can be raised and tipped by the lifting mechanism or hoist.
Various different hoisting mechanisms have been designed for such refuse vehicles.
For any given vehicle chassis, the weight of the lifting mechanism or hoist is a factor in the pay load which the vehicle can carry. The heavier the hoist, the less the pay load.
Some hoisting mechanisms are more difficult to operate than others, and some hoisting mechanisms are more easily damaged than others.
In addition, the hoists are operated by hydraulic cylinders. The design of the hoist, as well as its weight, may be a factor in determining the size of the hydraulic cylinders required for its operation.
The container body is equipped with a compactor mechanism for compacting the refuse within the body. This too adds to its weight and expense.
As a result of these factors, the front loading type of refuse vehicles are relatively expensive, and are suitable generally only for short hauls to a dump site. The vehicles carry a relatively substantial weight both in the hoisting mechanism and in the container body, and are therefore relatively inefficient for longer hauls, if dump sites are at any great distance.
As is well known, dump sites close to cities are rapidly being filled up and closed. Refuse is now being hauled, in some cases, hundreds of miles. This will involve the refuse vehicle in a double journey there and back, to dump each container body full of refuse.
Other types of refuse disposal vehicles are also well known, which are not equipped with hoisting mechanisms or compactors. These vehicles are essentially flat-bed vehicles. A large bulk refuse receptacle is carried on the flat-bed of the vehicle. At a refuse collection site, a slide mechanism on the vehicle is operated so as to first of all tilt the receptacle and then slide it off on to the ground at the site.
When such a receptacle is filled up with refuse, the flat-bed vehicle will return and pick it up and carry it away. This is inefficient since there is no attempt to compress or compact refuse.
The tilting mechanism involved is relatively simple. It involves two long slide bars, and two hydraulic cylinders by means of which the slide bars may be tilted upwardly and downwardly. A winch mechanism is provided with a chain or cable. The cable is then attached to the receptacle at the site, and the receptacle is simply dragged up the slide bars on to the bed of the vehicle.
In general terms, the present invention proposes to employ certain of the advantages of eacn of these two different refuse vehicle systems, together with a number of inventive modifications, and preferably, the addition of a trailer.
The front loading refuse vehicles may be used in and around refuse collection areas in cities, for example, and flat-bed refuse hauling vehicles may be used for hauling refuse long distances, preferably coupled with a trailer, to remove the refuse to the dump site.